People Watching Review

Hello, all!

The cover of People Watching by Hannah Bonam-Young screams 'autumn' so I knew I needed to pick it up as soon as possible.

Pub Date: 9-9-25
Adult - Contemporary

Prudence Welch used to dream about leaving her small town, but now she can't imagine ever setting foot out of Baysville. An introvert at her core, Prudence would rather spend her time helping out at her father's store, writing snippets of poetry, and taking care of her mother, who has Early-Onset Alzheimer's. But as her mother's condition worsens, her father begins to worry that Prue is wasting her potential. Then Milo Kablukov came along.

Milo is a determined flirt who would rather run than ever have a serious conversation with anyone. Milo has never stayed in one place for long, so he plans to be out of Baysville the second he finishes helping his brother set up his new brewery. But Milo didn't count on Prue, and he's quick to agree when she proposes a friends-with-benefits situation. The pair were looking for some mindless fun, so neither expected the deep bond that began to form between them. But if they want it to work, they'll both need to learn how to lower the guards they've built around their hearts.

I've only read two books by HBY--one that I loved and one that I thought was meh--so I was eager to see where this would land. I think it's somewhere in the middle. I spent the first half of this book thinking I would hate it. I thought Prue was bratty and Milo was super immature. I found their relationship so insta-lovey and quite shallow. Also, being in Milo's head gave me the ick. But, as the story continued, we began to see more depth, both in the characters and plotline, and I started enjoying it more. I appreciated learning more about Milo's backstory, and I found many aspects to which I could relate. I also liked seeing Prue explore her wants and needs, and take a stand for how she wanted her life to look. The third-act conflict got a little too messy, but overall, it was a quick read, and one that I would recommend if you like flirty banter mixed with more emotional topics.

Rating: 3/5

GoodReads | Bookshop.org

*This post includes an affiliate link